By Jonah Karp

NEW BEDFORD, MA—As the 2018 regular season approached its final game, the Waves found themselves just a game behind the Plymouth Pilgrims for first place in the Southern Division. After eleven innings, New Bedford (18-26) emerged victorious, taking down Ocean State (25-19) 6-5 on Wednesday.

Liam McArthur walked to get the first inning started. After swiping second, Ryan Ward slapped a single back up the middle to bring McArthur home.

The Bay Sox would tie the game in the second. After Ryan Markey reached on an error, Austin Markmann doubled him in to knot the game at one apiece. That would be the only hit on the board for New Bedford through the first five innings.

The Waves went back on top in the fifth. Jake Partridge laid down a bunt single along the third base line with one away. With two outs, Grant English doubled to plate Partridge, giving Ocean State a 2-1 advantage.

That score held entering the seventh when Dave Chabut laced a one-out single into center field. After stealing second, McArthur ripped an RBI single to put the Waves up by two. In the eighth, Cullen Smith kept the train moving with a single before Ryan Ward banged a double off the opposite foul pole to give Ocean State a 5-1 lead.

When Zemp Schwab exited after seven, Jake Walker took his place. Christian Aybar singled with one away. After Walker retired Elijah Brown for the second out, the inning began to unravel. Robert Emery and Karsten Sherman each walked to load the bases.

Markey singled home Aybar on a smoker to third. English dove to his left but came up empty and departed shortly after with an apparent injury. A wild pitch and a Markmann single would plate three more to tie the game at five.

The Bay Sox had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the eleventh off of Collin Bakken. Kevin Huscher walked it off with a single to score Markmann from third.

Ryan Ward went 2-for-5 with 3 RBI in the loss. Meanwhile, the Waves spoiled one of their best pitching performances. Zemp Schwab tossed 102 pitches, allowing no earned runs on just two hits while fanning 12 over seven innings.

With the loss, the Waves seal the two-seed in the playoffs, as Plymouth locks up the top spot and Mystic the three-seed.

Ocean State will host the Mystic Schooners on Friday to determine which team plays Plymouth in a best of three series.